


Crawl Out Through The Fallout

by Hexalys



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone is BAMF, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-20 13:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10663128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexalys/pseuds/Hexalys
Summary: After 300 years of being stuck in a freezer, we wake up to find Nora dead, Shaun taken, and the world in fucking ruins. There may be no more countries, but the people who've managed to survive are still killing each other. The Minute Men, the Brotherhood, the Institute, the Railroad, Raiders and Gunners. My brother always said war never changes, and he's goddamn right.Basically, my OC, the Sole Survivor's sister, joins him on his journey through the Commonwealth.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Fuck off. You know I don’t own Fallout 4, nor any of its predecessors. If anything, Fallout owns me, god knows it’s stolen numerous hours of my life. 
> 
> Oh boy, never thought I’d actually do a fic for the Fallout franchise. Not because I’m not a fan of the games, because I love them, but tackling a storyline that’s all about the player’s choices is a new one for me. I honestly probably wouldn’t have even thought to write a fic for Fallout 4 if I hadn’t been browsing Tumblr the other day. It was just a little comment, someone saying how they’d love to read a novelization of the game in the future. The more I thought about it, the more excited I was to write a story set in the post-apocalyptic, fucked up society. Of course I had to add my own twists to it. 
> 
> So I put in an OC. Now before you cringe and click out of this fic, I ask you to give me a chance. This story will still focus on the Sole Survivor and all the other characters we’ve come to love and hate, but my OC will be with them every step of the way. She’s not a Companion or a side character, but another victim to survive the horrors of Vault 111. I don’t want to spoil too much, so if you’re curious, or are simply bored and have nothing better than do, than please read and leave me a review on what you think.

“War, war never changes.” Juliet Delaney, better known as Jet to her friends and family, though her mother appalled the nickname and refused to call her as such, could hear her brother’s mutterings from inside the bathroom, rehearsing his speech for the umpteenth time. He’d left the door open, and when she’d passed by earlier to get to the kitchen, she’d spotted him shaving, fixing up his appearance for the Veteran’s Hall tonight. Nate had been going over his speech out loud so often during the past few days she probably knew the whole damn thing word for word.

Jet tried to block him out, sighing contently into her coffee, which was all black and scalding hot. Codsworth made the best brew in whole US of A. Definitely better than any of the sewage water A Cuppa Joe tried to pawn off. At the end of the counter, Nora finished off her own drink, a cavity inducing concoction consisting of four sugar packets and a shitload of milk.

Nora was one hell of a dame, what with her perfect white teeth, rosy cheeks, soft blue eyes, a curvy figure, and chestnut colored hair styled in an elegant manner that just screamed successful lawyer. Not for the first time Jet suspected that the woman must’ve suffered some sort of brain damage to settle for Nate.

Of course, Jet knew her brother was a damn good catch himself, when he wasn’t flapping gums. Nate had thick black hair, bright green eyes, tanned skin, a solid jawline, tall and muscular from his years serving in the military. He had a scar on his chin, no thicker than a string of yarn and only two inches long. It made him look like a dashing rogue, or so he liked to say. They made a very handsome pair, Nora and Nate. Naturally, they’d put those good genes to work and had made a very handsome baby who was only four months old, little Shaunie.

They were the perfect little suburban family, living in their newly furnished, white picket fenced house that Vault-Tec had provided for them here in Sanctuary Hills.

Jet hid a grimace behind her mug. Such thoughts always made her feel ugly. Oh, at first glance she looked like a dynamite gal. Seeing as she and Nate were twins, she shared most of his features. Same black hair, green eyes, and tan skin. Her face was narrower, her cheekbones higher and more prominent. She was physically fit from also having fought in the in war, but her years of being out of service had cost her a good bit of muscle mass.

If one took a closer look though, they would see the patchy burn mark she tried to hide with high-collared shirts or scarfs peeking through on the right side of her neck. If she took off the gloves she wore near constantly and rolled back her right sleeve, it would reveal a clunky metal arm where there should’ve been flesh and bone. Crisscrossing scars and a myriad of burns marked her right side. They arched from her neck all the way down to her thigh, where the leg had also been replaced with an artificial prosthetic.  

She’d lost both limbs six years ago during the Battle of Anchorage. When she’d woken up in so much goddamn pain almost a month afterwards, it was to a white coat telling her that she’d been honorably discharged. They’d even given her a fucking medal for her “bravery on the warfront.”

She likely would’ve slipped into depression right then and there if not for the man, who’d entered the room minutes later, asking if she’d had a moment to spare. Jet was convinced to this day that the only reason she hadn’t chased him out of the room, screaming and throwing a bed pan, was because she’d been in shock. If she stopped to think about it and let her paranoia take over, she’d wonder if he’d done that on purpose, using her vulnerable state to his advantage.

He’d been from the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, working for a sub-division that was focusing on using robotics to help people. He’d regaled her with information about revolutionary prosthetics, of cerebral implants that would allow her to control the limbs, and even mentioned a prototype that could restart a person’s heart. Future plans to help veterans like herself get back on their feet. The only problem was that they’d needed volunteers to get the technology right, to see how well it would work and what needed to be done differently.

She hadn’t even hesitated signing her name on the dotted line.      

“I’m going to go calm Nate down. If he keeps working himself up like this, he’s gonna draw a blank in the middle of his speech.” Nora said after a moment, dragging Jet from her spiraling thoughts down memory lane. She nodded, chuckling at the idea of her brother freezing up in such a way, and turned back to her drink.

‘ _Better him than me._ ’ She mused privately, grateful the committee hadn’t asked her to give a speech as well. It wasn’t that Jet was anti-social or suffered from stage fright; she simply knew from experience that anytime she talked about the war, or the government, it all came out sounding rather bitter. Nobody wanted, or needed for that matter, to hear those opinions.

People liked to say that things were getting better and Jet supposed that was true in some regards. Thanks to the T-51B Power Armor, America had cut a path of destruction through the People’s Liberation Army. China’s resources were strained to the breaking point, their annexed countries had all but been broken down, and Alaska had been reclaimed back in January. After elven years of war, things were finally beginning to look up. Sure there were Vaults, and the threat of a nuclear fallout still hung over their heads, but it seemed as if they’d finally reached the end of the tunnel.

Jet must’ve drifted off into her thoughts again, because she startled slightly when Nate and Nora stepped into the room.    

“Ah, good morning sir!” Codsworth greeted her twin happily. “Your coffee, 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Brewed to perfection!” He poured a fresh cup for Nate, who preferred it just as black as she did. “And today’s newspaper, just delivered!” The robotic butler gestured to the tabloid on the counter that Nora had been perusing earlier.

“Thanks Codsworth.” Nate replied as he took the offered mug. “Hey sis.”

“Morning bro.” Jet said, before taking a sip of her hot drink, carefully maneuvering her tongue so that it wouldn’t get burned. Nate didn’t sit down, but instead paced around the kitchen, inspecting the fridge and muttering to himself before setting his untouched drink on top of the counter. Nora had returned to her spot, glancing at him fondly over the newspaper.

“Nervous?” She chuckled as he nodded. “Don’t be. Everyone’s going to love the speech.” Jet snorted into her drink.

“Sure. If he doesn’t stutter his way through it.” Nora graced her with a suppressed smile while Nate heaved a long-suffering sigh, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Great, way to jinx me.” The sudden loud cries coming from down the hall had Jet automatically standing up.

When she’d finally been released from the CIT’s “care” after three long years, Nora had tracked her down some months later with the help of a detective, insisting that she move in with her. Jet had been against it at first, for many reasons. Nora was a lawyer though, and a damn good one at that. Arguments and excuses had fallen apart when confronted by the brunette. Eventually, Jet, bogged down by an ever increasing sense of misplacement and haunting memories that refused to leave her alone, had given in only when Nate had asked her to look after Nora. Not that she’d been under any delusion of that ever being her brother’s true motive.

And then in the middle of September last year, Nate had come home from the war. She had bunked at their parents’ place for two weeks, letting the couple get reacquainted in private. It wasn’t much of a shock when Nora turned out to be pregnant a month later.

When they’d told her, Jet had congratulated them, honestly overjoyed at the good news, before saying it was time she’d moved out anyways. Nate’s pinched expression and Nora’s wide eyes had told her they’d never considered asking her to leave. Instead, they’d wanted her to stay, to help with the baby, with finances. Both she and Nate had left college to enlist back in 2066, so they’d had nothing other than their high school diplomas to fall back on when it came to finding a job.

Jet could easily recall her own dark days, after CIT, but before she’d been found shacked up in that shitty one room apartment in the Boston slums. She remembered how hard it had been to get a job, struggling to make ends meet, to fit back into society somehow when she still dreamt about Anchorage almost every night. She could hardly say no, not when she knew her brother would have his own nightmares to deal with. And then Shaun had come along. It was as if her whole world revolved around him.

“Ah, sounds like someone made a stinky! Oh, don’t get up Miss Juliet, stay, enjoy your beverage. I shall attend to young Shaun.” She settled back onto the stool, idly tapping a gloved hand against the counter as she watched Codsworth fly off. Much as she loved her nephew, she was grateful for the break. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night.

“You know, I was nervous at first, but Codsworth’s really good with Shaun.” Nora commented happily. A knock at the front door caught the room’s attention. Nora leaned back from where she was standing, tilting her head to look through the front window to see who was at the door. Her face scrunched up, mouth narrowing as she sent Jet a look before turning to Nate. “Can you get that? It’s that salesman again. He comes for you every day.”

Jet frowned too, sharing the other woman’s irritation. The Vault-Tec representative had worked his way around talking to them every time beforehand, saying he’d like to speak to the “man of the house.” Nate did as asked with little more than an eye roll and went over to the door, revealing the salesman who grinned widely in greeting.

“Good morning! Vault-Tec calling!”

“Uh, right, good morning.” Nate returned with less enthusiasm.

“You can’t begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you. I’ve been trying for days. It’s a matter of utmost urgency, I assure you.” The Vault-Tec representative continued, eyeing the women dismissively before returning to Nate.

“What’s so important?” He asked with a furrowed brow and the salesman pointed at him.

“Why nothing less than your entire future! If you haven’t noticed, sir, this country has gone to heck in a hand basket. If you’ll excuse my language.” He continued apologetically and Jet muffled a scoff. Being in the army, she and Nate had heard and said a hell of a lot worse. “The big kaboom is… it’s inevitable, I’m afraid. And coming sooner than you may think, if you catch my meaning. Now, I know you’re a busy fellow, so I won’t take up much of your time. Time being a, um, a precious commodity… I’m here to tell you, that because of your family’s service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local Vault. Vault 111.” The representative made a wide, sweeping gesture with his arms, as if the Vault were a sight to behold. Jet had never seen a Vault, besides what was advertised on TV, but she found nothing impressive about a hole in the ground, no matter how many amenities Vault-Tec had stuck in it.

“But there’s enough room for my family, right?” Nate asked and the salesman nodded reassuringly.

“Of course. Of course! Minus your robot, naturally. In fact, you’re already cleared for entrance. It’s just a matter of verifying some information. Don’t want there to be any hold ups, in the unforeseen event of, ahem… total atomic annihilation. Won’t take but a moment.”

“Sure, let’s do it.”

“Splendid, splendid! Now let’s see… First is a Mr. Nathan Delaney, yourself, I’m assuming sir?”

“That’s right.”

“Wonderful! Next we have the missus, Nora Delaney, and lastly an infant, Shaun. Is that correct?” The Vault-Tec rep asked and Nate shook his head.

“No, there should be one more, my sister.” The salesman shot another speculative glance into the kitchen, before going back over his list again.

“Um, I’m sorry to say sir, but only the three of you are written down here.” The man replied, tone turning nervous as he adjusted his yellow fedora. Her brother, bless him, looked unimpressed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “But maybe she’s on a different list?”

“I’m already registered with Vault-Tec, Nate.” Jet pipped up after watching the man quickly becoming flustered under her twin’s intense gaze, barely holding back a snicker. She saw Nora make her way to the couch, shoulders shaking with muffled laughter. “How do you think you guys got into the Vault in the first place? I pulled a few strings, called in some favors. I tried to swing for mom and dad too, but there’s only so much space apparently.”

“You never told me that.” He said in surprise before turning back to the salesman. “Sorry about the mix-up.” The Vault-Tec rep’s smile had returned, though noticeably more strained, and he began to slowly back away from the porch, as if he were still afraid that Nate might turn hostile.  

“No harm done! That’s… everything… just gonna walk this over to the Vault! Congratulations on being prepared for the future!”

“Um, thanks again.” Nate called before closing the door and shaking his head.

“Hey, it’s peace of mind. That’s worth a little paperwork, right?” Nora commented, humor underlining her words.

“For you and Shaun, no price is too high.” Nate replied half-seriously, making his wife chuckle.

“Good answer.”

“I have my moments.”

“Though they’re far and few in-between.” Jet joked and her brother threw her a mock scowl, his green eyes shining with mirth. He opened his mouth, no doubt to comeback with a witty remark of his own, when renewed crying came from the other room.

“Sir.” Codsworth announced as he floated back into the kitchen. “Shaun has been changed, but he absolutely refuses to calm down. I think he needs some of that “parental affection” you seem to be so good at.”

“You heard Codsworth, go on. I’ll be there to help in a second, okay?” Nate beamed as he left the room, and not for the first time did she think that fatherhood suited him perfectly. He just seemed to have a natural affinity with Shaun, a calming effect that neither women had. It never failed to impress her when she stood in the doorway, watching him slowly hum The Wanderer under his breath while rocking Shaun back to sleep. “Jet, did you really get us into the Vault?” Nora asked and she nodded. “Thanks, that couldn’t have been easy.”

“You’d be surprised.” In truth, it was those bastards over at CIT who’d setup the whole thing. She had argued vehemently, saying the only way she’d ever go into a Vault was if her brother and his family could come too. They’d pulled it off, somehow. Nora smiled at her gratefully before getting up, wordlessly following her husband. Jet moved to the couch, giving the couple their space, and turned to the television while Codsworth busied himself with starting breakfast.

Not even three minutes later the screen flickered with static, the commercial about Sugar Bombs interrupted as the local newsreader appeared on the screen. He was disheveled, his tie crooked and hair messy, as if he’d ran his hand through it too many times.

“ **This… just in ladies and gentlemen.** ” The man began slowly, posture stiff and breathing heavy, his voice shaking. “ **Just moments ago… we received reports of massive quakes up and down the eastern seaboard… The damage appears to be… extensive.** ” Jet felt her breath catch, a horrible knowing feeling spreading through the pit of her stomach. Her coffee cup slipped through lose fingers, ceramic smashing loudly against the vinyl wood floor.

“Oh, Miss Juliet! What– by Jove!” Codsworth gasped as he floated around the couch to get a closer look at the television. She didn’t turn her eyes away from the screen, even when he called out for the others. “Sir? Mum? You should come see this!”

“Codsworth? What’s wrong?” Nora shouted back, but for once the robot seemed at a lost at how to respond. She heard their footsteps rushing down the hallway and still she didn’t look away.

“ **Followed by… yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions… We’re… we’re trying to get confirmation…** ”

“What? What is he saying?” Nate asked worriedly. Jet wanted to answer him, to tell him that the worst had happened. The bombs had finally come. But she strangely couldn’t utter a sound.

“ **But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliated stations…** ”

“Oh god, please no.” Nora murmured and she suddenly felt the woman gripping her shoulder tightly, the touch having the wondrous effect of grounding Jet, helping her brain pull back from the initial shock.

“ **We do have… coming in… confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My god.** ” The newsreader buried his face into his hands before the feed suddenly cut out, the screen replaced with a simple message to stand by.

“We need to get to the Vault, now!” Nate shouted, the panic and authority in his tone causing Jet to lurch to her feet, shoulders hiked up and back straight. She looked to Nora; relieved to see that she already had Shaun nestled safely in her arms.

“I’ve got Shaun. Let’s go!” She said, falling into step behind Nate who led the charge towards the door. Jet caught herself pausing after a few feet, briefly looking over her shoulder at Codsworth. She didn’t know why she’d stopped. They couldn’t bring him into the Vault and the Mr. Handy model had much better chances at surviving the fallout than her.

“Cods, you stay safe pal!”

“And your family as well, Miss Juliet. Oh my…” She nodded to him once and ran outside into overwhelming mayhem.

“This is it! This is the end!”

“Sheryl, where are you!?”

“This way, head to the Vault!”

“Everything’s gonna be okay!”

“Oh god, this can’t be happening!”

“Mommy! Daddy!”

“ **Attention: All Sanctuary Hills residents, if you are registered with Vault 111, evacuate.** ” Sirens blared throughout the neighborhood, people were shouting and running, hauling suitcases as a Vertibird flew overhead.

For a moment, Jet honestly thought she was back in Alaska. She could feel icy air filling her lungs, adrenaline and fear rushing through her veins, a rifle clutched tightly in her shaking hands while gunning down the Reds. Explosions and gunfire bombarded her senses, the clotting smell of smoke and blood filling the air. She had to hold positon. General Chase had ordered them to. They couldn’t allow the oil supply line to be taken by the Chinese.

Shaun’s nearby wails tore her out of the violent flashback, a contrasting sound that rang over the chaos, spurning more fear in her than the war ever had. She frantically glanced around her, terrified at losing sight of her family.

“Jet, keep up!” Bright green eyes met her own as she spotted Nate jogging in front of Nora, who was curled over Shaun protectively, clearing a path. She took after them in a sprint, following them up the hill to where the Vault was. As soon as they crossed the bridge, she saw several soldiers ahead, directing everyone to the Vault.

“Vault participants, this way! If you’re registered, then head to the gate!” They passed an unfamiliar couple, the woman shouting at her husband as he tried to stuff everything he could into a single suitcase.

“Leave the bags, who cares?!” They continued to rush forwards, the man’s answering screams becoming background noise as it was drowned out by the sirens. The frightened yells increased in numbers and volume as they came to the back of a small crowd held up at the gate. Soldiers were lined up on the other side of the fence, blocking the path for anyone who didn’t have the clearance to enter. At the head of the group, Jet spotted a familiar yellow trench coat.

“That’s absurd, I AM Vault-Tec!” The Vault-Tec representative shouted angrily.

“You’re not on the list, you don’t get in.” The soldier holding a clipboard replied, tone stern and unmoving, even in the face of nuclear annihilation.

“This is ridiculous! I’m going in! You can’t stop me!” The salesman would’ve no doubt started a riot right then and there if it weren’t for the soldier wearing Power Armor manning a Minigun. As soon as the representative started to force his way in, an action that stirred the others into motion, the soldier pointed the Minigun at him. The salesman raised his arms in alarm, surrendering instantly. “Whoa, whoa, wait, okay, okay!” He took several stumbling steps backwards before turning around, rushing back down the hill. “I’m reporting this!”

Nate shoved their way to the gate’s entrance, making sure to keep an arm around Nora so that they wouldn’t get separated. Jet hovered behind the two, ready to knock back anyone who got to close. A panicked person was capable of anything, crowds only made that desperation even more dangerous. She’d seen for herself how quickly people can turn on each other back in Anchorage.

“We’re on the list!” Nate shouted to the soldier, while Nora tried to calm Shaun down. “The Delaney’s, we’re registered!”

“Infant… adult male… adult female… Ok, go ahead.” He took a step to the side, gesturing for another soldier to come forth.

“Thank you!” Nora said frantically as they moved past. The soldier with a clipboard slid back into place, immediately barring Jet. She watched, dread increasing as a pair of soldiers took Nate and Nora by the arms and started to forcibly drag them away.

“Wait, wait, my sister!” She heard Nate shout as they moved further away, struggling to break free and turn around.

“We have to move, sir!” One soldier bellowed, his grip tightening as he gestured for a nearby private to help him.

“No, stop! Juliet!” Nora cried hysterically as she glanced over her shoulder.

“I’m on the list too, Juliet Delaney!” She yelled, alarmed as her brother and sister-in-law disappeared around the bend of the hill.

“So you are. Good luck, ma’am, and god help us all.” She raced up the hill, leaving the crowd of people behind without a second glance.

“We’re not on the list for the Vault! We’re all gonna die!” One man screamed before his cries faded along with everyone else’s. Jet bit her lip hard, silently agreeing with him. Those people had little chance of survival, especially with them being out in the open as they were.

She reached the top of the hill just as the bomb hit.

“NOW! NOW! SEND IT DOWN NOW!” One soldier roared and she bolted, ignoring the calls and orders to halt. She could see Nora, crouched low, Shaun pressed close to her chest. Nate had his arms over them, shielding his family, his gaze somehow locked onto her. And behind them Jet could see it in the distance, the bright blinding orange flash, the infamous mushroom cloud already taking shape. Then her family started disappearing from view, being lowered into the Vault. She didn’t slow down, didn’t stumble as the ground shook and a shockwave of dirt and hot air almost knocked her off her feet. She only ran, as fast as she could, and jumped down just as the thick metal doors slid shut.

Unnerving silence and darkness greeted her, along with a few short seconds of falling weightlessly. Her feet smashed hard into a steel floor, her normal leg buckling painfully while her robotic one absorbed the impact easily. There were frantic shouts, the other survivors calling out to loved ones, screaming denials. Nate’s voice was the loudest.

“Jet! Juliet!?”

“I’m… here Nate… I’m here!” She panted, body strained from how much she’d exerted herself. She was pretty sure she hadn’t run with that kind of desperation since the war.

“Oh thank god, Juliet! I thought you didn’t–”

“Please, this is me we’re talking about.” She huffed, trying to keep her voice from shaking and failing miserably. She struggled to stand upright as the platform continued to descend, letting light pour through as the shaft opened up. Now able to see properly, she quickly moved over to her family, who embraced her in relief. Nate’s hug felt like a vice grip on her overworked lungs. “Oof, dude, don’t kill me after we just survived a nuke.” He breathed a choked up laugh into her hair.

“Oh Jet, I’m so relieved you’re okay.” Nora whispered, eyes teary as she rocked Shaun back and forth, a shaky smile adorning her face. “And so is Shaun.”

“How is my brave little nephew?” She asked as she stepped closer to the two, laying a tentative hand on the boy’s head. He gargled in response, blue eyes streaming tears, his face red and snotty. Damn kid had never looked more precious in her opinion. “Don’t worry Shaunie, I’m not going anywhere. None of us are.”

“We did it. We made it. We’re okay…” Nora seemed to be reassuring herself as much as she was them. Nate embraced his wife and son, muttering something calming into her ear. The elevator finally reached the bottom, their small group met with metal walls and harsh white lighting. Two men in blue and yellow jumpsuits were there to greet them. One was obviously some sort of security, judging by the helmet and padded armor he wore over his suit. The only distinctive thing about the other man was the Pip-Boy on his wrist.

“Everyone please step off the elevator and proceed up the stairs in an orderly fashion.” The security guard spoke as the gate lifted, allowing them entrance into the Vault. Nobody moved.

“No need to worry, folks! We’ll get everyone situated in your new home. Vault 111! A better future, underground!” The second man called out, sounding much too chipper after what had just happened. It set Jet’s teeth on edge.

“So we just…?” Mr. Russel, one of their neighbors, began weakly before looking back up, no doubt imagining the horrible things happening up above.

“Yes, up the stairs.” The Vault-Tec guard repeated.

“I can’t believe it… if we had left a minute later… We’d all be–” Old man Abel began, running a hand through his white hair. Jet stepped over to him, placing a comforting hand on her employer’s shoulder, who was still too shaken up to do more than stare up at her with wide eyes.

“No, no! Don’t get caught up thinking about all that. You’re safe now.” She glared at the man, but returned her attention to Mr. Abel when he griped her hand tightly.

“Thank heavens you survived, Jet. Don’t know what I’d do without my favorite employee.” He rasped, a weak smile coming to his weathered face. “Never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually a little grateful Susan passed away last year. The bombs’ dropping was her biggest fear.”

“I know Mr. Abel. Don’t worry… things will be alright.” She wasn’t sure if she was lying. The thought of living underground, in a Vault-Tec made shelter, rankled her in more ways than she could explain. Jet supposed she could only hope that this wouldn’t turn out to be anything like her experiences with the CIT. With a final pat on the old man’s shoulder, she followed her twin up the stairs, Nora and Shaun walking in-between them.

“This is our new home…” Nate commented lowly as they stepped onto a metal grate, walking past the giant Vault door and into an antechamber filled with more employees and other people who’d made it to shelter.

“ **Vault-Tec is here for you. All new residents please proceed in an orderly fashion. Welcome home!** ” Announced a woman’s voice over the PA system. They walked past a man in a lab coat and a woman holding a clipboard, the man was operating some sort of machine that she couldn’t identify.

“Male, this one’s good.” He noted to the woman next to him as Nate passed. “Female and an infant… good. No signs of radiation from either.” After Nora passed, Jet walked past the pair, eyeing the machine distrustfully. “Female, clean as well.” At the end of the walkway stood another Vault-Tec employee who was directing everyone over to a side table, where they were distributing identical jumpsuits.

“Step over to the table and take a suit please.” They did as ordered, with Nate grabbing his first.

“Uh, thanks.” Jet stepped over to grab her own as well as Nora’s. “What now?”

“Just follow the doctor here. He’ll show you where to go.” The woman handing out uniforms said and the doctor gestured them forwards, waving the Pip-Boy on his arm.    

“All right you four, follow me!” He led them down a hallway and Nate fell into step with Nora, wrapping an arm around her.

“See, this is our new home.” Nora said softly to Shaun as she rocked the baby a little.

“Hey, we’ll make the best of it. As long as we have each other, everything will be fine.” Nate murmured and she smiled back at him, her tense shoulders finally relaxing a little.

“Oh you’re going to love it here. This is one of our more advanced facilities. Not that the others aren’t great, mind you…” The doctor said as they walked through an intersecting part of the hallway. On their left was a closed door being guarded by a security officer. To the right was another closed door, but a set of windows allowed Jet to see into a room full of metal contraptions and more people in blue jumpsuits. A couple stood by the windows, the husband hugging his weeping wife, while a Vault-Tec worker tried to calm them down.

“It’s gone… everything… our home, everything we had.”

“My mother and father down in D.C… Oh god, honey, what if they didn’t make it?” Nora frowned in sympathy at the sobbing woman before leaning even further into Nate’s embrace, holding Shaun a bit more tightly.

“How long do you think we’ll be down here?” She asked the doctor after a moment and he chuckled a little in response before answering.

“Oh, we’ll be going over all that in orientation.” They stepped into a new chamber, lined up with the machines Jet had spotted in the last room. A few people she knew from the neighborhood were already wearing their new jumpsuits, preparing to get into the odd contraptions. “Just a few medical items we have to get through first.” They moved all the way to the end of the room when the doctor turned to them. “Just step in here and put your Vault suits on.” He gestured for Jet to get into the last pod, just to the left of Nora’s, and she paused as her hands went to the buttons of her shirt, hesitating.

Casting a glance around the room, she stepped onto the other side of the pod, where a little niche could hide her from view. The doctor had turned to watch her; no doubt worried she would knock a few wires loose or something. As she pulled off her gloves, she heard him gasp and hoped he hadn’t attracted any attention. She didn’t look up as she quickly removed her clothes and pulled on the Vault suit, frowning at the material. It clung to her body like a second skin, and she could already tell that it was going to get caught in her metal joints. This was why she preferred to wear baggy clothes. They didn’t get in the way as much and did a good job hiding the misshapenness of her robotic limbs. The jumpsuit did the exact opposite and she tried not to cringe, imagining just how deformed she must look. Pulling back on her gloves, Jet finally looked at the doctor, who was predictably gaping at her.

“Vault-Tec made them.” She lied without thinking, afraid that if she said they were from the CIT that he would ask to study them. He nodded at her, awe and curiosity overtaking his features.

“Fascinating. I had no idea we’d made such advances in robotics.” Before the doctor could say anything else, Shaun started to cry again.

“Shhh, it’ll be okay. Daddy and Aunt Jet aren’t going far.” Nora’s quiet tone and gentle rocking had little effect on Shaun, who continued to sniffle. “Honey, could you help?” Nate moved closer, now dressed in his own uniform as he took the baby, and Jet handed the spare jumpsuit over to Nora so that she could change.

“Who’s my little guy, huh? I’m not going far. I’ll just be over there. You stay here with your mom and take care of her, okay?” He hummed as he bounced Shaun in his arms a little, who gave a tired yawn and ducked his head. Nora took Shaun back, smiling gently, and Nate leaned in to kiss her lovingly. He turned to Jet, who welcomed his massive hug, and then climbed into his pod. She embraced Nora as well, ducking down to kiss Shaun on the head, before getting into her designated pod and the door overhead closed.

The first thing she noticed was that it was cold, uncomfortably so. From looking out of the corner of the little window, she could still see about half of Nate’s pod. The doctor stepped in front of him, his words muffled but still clear enough for Jet to make out.

“The pod will decontaminate and depressurize you before we head deeper in the Vault. Just relax.” He disappeared from view and a different voice, the same female one they’d heard when entering the Vault, echoed throughout her pod.

“ **Resident secure. Occupant vitals: Normal. Procedure complete.** ” Too cold, it was getting too cold. Jet’s breathing picked up as suspicions blared through her mind. Was it supposed to be this cold? She clenched her fists at her side, praying Vault-Tec wasn’t screwing her family over. Her vision started to go white. Oh god, her lungs felt like they were freezing over, and she could see ice spreading over the glass. “ **In 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…** ”

Thankfully, the white faded seconds later, her breathing becoming easier, although it was still too damn cold.

“ **Manual override initiated. Cryogenic stasis suspended.** ” Cryogenic? What? What did that mean? She gasped harshly, body shivering and teeth chattering. Frost still covered the window. She lifted a shaking hand, pushing against the door, then banging against the glass when it had no effect. As she strained to force her way out, she could hear voices outside and she stopped, trying instead to focus on what they were saying.

“This is the one. Here.” Stated a female voice. Jet looked out her pod, shifting as best as she could, and caught sight of a bald man with a scar on his face wearing strange clothes and holding a gun.

“Open it.” The man ordered, finger resting easy on the trigger. She could hear the hiss of compressed air, of metal moving, and from how close it sounded, Jet had little doubt that they’d just opened Nora’s pod. Her assumption was proven correct as she heard her sister-in-law coughing harshly, Shaun’s wails piercing the air.

“Is it o-over? Are w-we okay?”

“Almost.” The armed man said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Come here… come here, baby…” The woman muttered and Jet’s pulse skyrocketed.

“No, wait. No, I’ve got him!” Nora yelled and she lifted her metal foot, kicking hard against the door, cursing when it refused to give. The man glanced at her pod briefly before raising his gun, pointing it at Nora.

“Let the boy go. I’m only gonna tell you once.” Pounding on the glass of her pod, she could barely see that her twin was doing the same.

“I’m not giving you Shaun!” Nora screamed desperately.

Jet jumped as a shot rang out, echoing in her ears. Nora became silent. Shaun cried louder.

“Goddammit! Get the kid out of here, and let’s go.” The man growled as he turned and leaned closer to Nate’s pod. For a terrified, heart stopping moment, she was afraid that the bastard was going to kill her brother too. “At least we still have the backup.”

“What about the other one?” The still unseen woman asked. He turned to her and Jet caught his eyes, glaring hatefully, but then he walked away, his reply barely audible.

“The freak remains untouched, for now.”

“ **Cryogenic sequence reinitialized.** ” Suddenly the white fog took over her vision once more, the cold biting into her flesh. When Jet broke out of that damnable fog a second time, she was wheezing and coughing, feeling like she was being suffocated. She hit the door weakly, gasping for air. “ **Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All Vault residents must evacuate immediately.** ”

Sirens rang out, a strobing light flashed through the pod briefly, and then the hatch finally opened up. She tumbled forwards, landing on her side, catching sight of Nate as he crashed into the floor on his hands and knees. He crawled to Nora’s pod and Jet struggled to join him. Her metals limbs didn’t seem to have suffered from any side effects from… whatever the hell those Vault-Tec assholes had done, but the suit had gotten stuck in her joints just as she’d predicted. With an irritated growl she tugged the cloth free and shakily climbed to her feet. Nate had used Nora’s pod to stand and was now hitting the glass and metal with little regard to how it must be ruining his hands.

“Come on! There has to be a release!” He shouted furiously, and she spotted blood seeping from chipped fingernails and torn knuckles.

“Nate. Nathan!” She placed a trembling hand only his quivering shoulder and he turned to her, gripping her arms tightly, nostrils flaring as he stared at her in full-blown terror.

“Help me open this fucking door Juliet!” He yelled, shaking her harshly. “I have to get her out, I have to!” Jet nodded hastily, stepping around the pod and feeling for some sort of emergency lever or switch that would release the door.

“ **Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All Vault residents must evacuate immediately.** ” Nate must have found the right button in his frantic scrambling because the pod suddenly gave a hiss as the door slowly opened.

“Come on, come on, come on! Oh god!” He screamed as he stepped up to Nora, pulling the frozen woman into his arms.

“Fuck!” Jet hissed as she took in her sister-in-law’s haunting condition. She could see where the bullet had hit her, indicated by the gaping hole and bloody smears marring her head. That bastard had shot her between the eyes. Permafrost covered her entire body, sickeningly reminding her of the freezer burned steak Nate had pulled out of the fridge a few days ago.

As her brother started to cry, loud heartbreaking sobs that made her want to breakdown along with him, she stepped behind him, bracing both hands on his broad, shuddering shoulders. They were like that for a while, Nate grieving over his dead wife, Jet a silent supporter who could only offer so much comfort in this cold reality they’d awoken to. Her brother had never been one to cry long though, and soon his tears and shouts subsided into silence. He took the ring from Nora’s hand, placing it on his pinky, and gently lifted her back into the pod, closing the door. Laying a hand upon the window, he closed his eyes and set his jaw, breathing heavily through his nose.

“I’ll find who did this and I’ll get Shaun back. I promise.” He moved away reluctantly and Jet took a small step forward, copying his actions as she looked at Nora through the frostbitten glass.

“And I’ll watch his back every step of the way.” She turned to her twin, green eyes reflecting back at each other, and silently offered her him a hug, arms held out at her sides. For a moment, she thought he would cry again, but he just shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around her tightly, sighing raggedly into her hair. “We’ll find Shaun, Nate, and kill the bastard that did this.” She promised lowly. “No matter what it takes.”


	2. Out Of Time Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review!
> 
> As some of you have noticed, I’m taking the dialogue from the game and expanding/reworking it to fit my character, thus making the story flow better. Sometimes she’ll use the Sole Survivor’s words, voicing an option that Nate hadn’t chosen, or I’ll have her say something completely new.

“ **Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All Vault residents must evacuate immediately.** ”

In the wake of saying their goodbyes to Nora, a long moment passed before they separated from their embrace. Nate, suddenly looking so much older than thirty, wordlessly glanced at the occupied pod on the other side of Nora. He moved in front of it, peering into the glass, scraped up fists clenched at his sides.

“Oh god, I think they’re all dead…” He whispered after a minute, sounding horrified. Jet’s stomach roiled at the very thought of everyone, their neighbors, Old man Abel, being–

“We can’t be the only ones left… HELLO! ANYONE?!” She shouted anxiously, hearing only her echo respond. Where were those Vault-Tec assholes, the white coats, and security guards? They had to be around here somewhere, right? Spotting a terminal at the edge of the room, she jogged over to it, while Nate muttered to himself as he moved from pod to pod and tried to open the doors with no success.

The terminal flickered on. There were three noted categories and she opened up the first that said **_[Cryogenic Array]_**. **_Cryogenic Array: Offline. Premature termination resulting in system failure. Isolated manual and remote overrides detected. Controls disabled_.** She backed out and clicked on **_[Life Support]_** only to find that it stated the same thing as the last account, offline and system failure. She moved onto the last entry titled **_[Pod Occupant Status]_**.

 ** _Pod B1: Empty – Occupant status: Not applicable.  
Pod B2: Adeline Callahan – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure.  
Pod B3: Robert Callahan – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure.  
Pod B4: Dan Abel – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure._**   
**Pod B5: Mark Russel – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure.**  
_**Pod B6: Nora Delaney and Shaun Delaney (infant) – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Cardiac arrest.**_  
 _ **Pod B7: Nathan Delaney – Occupant status: Unknown. Pod Door Manual Override Engaged.**_  
 __ **Pod B8: Juliet Delaney – Occupant status: Unknown. Pod Door Manual Override Engaged.**

“Damn it. Dammit!” Jet shouted as she slammed a metal fist against the keyboard, nearly tearing it off as a shower of sparks fell to the floor. “They’re fucking dead, Nate. Suffocated because the fucking life support failed.” She moved over to Mr. Abel’s pod, burying her face into her hands as she saw that he was frosted over just like Nora.

“…Come on. We have to get going.” He said after a moment, tone despondent but firm. She exhaled heavily, her breath a warm fog in the cold air, and nodded silently as he led the way out of the horrible room that was little more than a cemetery.

“ **Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All Vault residents must evacuate immediately.** ”

The room they’d passed by before, where the wife had wondered about the fate of her parents over in D.C, was filled with the same Cryo Pods. Sharing a grim look, the twins stepped inside and split off again as Nate personally investigated the pods and Jet headed for the terminal across the room. It said the same things as the last computer, but there was a whole new set of names.

**_Pod A1: Farnell DiPietro – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure.  
Pod A2: Cindy Cofran – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure.  
_ _Pod A3: Jennifer Whitfield – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure._ **   
**_Pod A4: Margret Cofran – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure._ **   
**_Pod A5: Samuel Whitfield – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure._ **   
****_Pod A6: William Cofran – Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to life support failure._

“Jesus. I think we really are the only ones still alive, Nathan.” She stated dejectedly as she left the terminal and found her brother standing silently in front of Cindy Cofran’s pod. She was just a teenager from the looks of her.

“All these people… How could Vault-Tec do this?” He murmured lowly and Jet faltered, eyes clenched shut as she refrained from hitting something. Of course Vault-Tec had lied to them. She should’ve known that they couldn’t be trusted, especially after everything she’d been through with the CIT. But what choice did they have? Vault-Tec had built the only shelters able to survive the nuclear fallout; a safe place for her family had been too good to pass up. But now… now Nora was dead. All these people were dead. And Shaun was gone.

“Let’s keep moving.” She muttered instead of saying anything else. Disturbed by the situation, they headed towards the exit door wordlessly, and she growled in frustration when it failed to activate. After physically trying to pry the door open, the female automated voice intoned overhead.

“ **Malfunction in emergency exit door override. Please contact your Vault-Tec maintenance representative for service.** ”

“Is there anything in this shitty Vault that ain’t malfunctioning?” She yelled back, before kicking the door and tugging on the sleeve of her arm as it got stuck in her elbow joint. Taking a step back, her boot hit something and she looked down to see some tools strewn across the floor. She picked up a screwdriver and pocketed it, knowing from experience that the rivets in her wrist joint tended to become loose after a while. Nate sighed from beside her.

“Guess we’re taking the long way around.” They moved towards the other door, silently walking downstairs and into the next level. Looking around the room showed that numerous metal crates were lined up against the wall, but not much else. On one crate beneath a set of windows, Nate found a security baton. He was about to put it back when, what Jet could accurately describe as a giant cockroach, jumped up and hit the glass, mandibles clicking threateningly as it screeched at them.

“The fuck is that?” She shouted as she jolted back and Nate raised the baton instinctively. The giant bug leaped at the window again, before giving up, scuttling off deeper into the room.

“Better hang onto this. We’re definitely gonna need it.” Nate muttered while she continued to swear under her breath. He tried to give the baton to her, but she shook her head, smirking self-deprecatingly as she hefted her right arm up.

“I got metal limbs to swing around. You’ll need it more than me bro.” At the end of the room was a closed door, while the second one to the right had been left open. They explored the open room first, finding that it appeared to be an office. Two desks were set up against the walls, a few chairs spread throughout the room, with a filing cabinet and some lockers tucked into the corners. Jet went over to the terminal on the desk while Nate began looking through the lockers and cabinets. She tossed a stimpak over to him and he tucked it into one of the two small pockets their damn Vault suits had been designed with.

“Wonder what the hell they did with our clothes.” She muttered as the terminal started up. “I wouldn’t mind getting those back. This suit keeps getting caught in my joints.”

“I’ll keep an eye out.” Nate promised sullenly as he began to rifle through the opposite desk.

The terminal, like the last two, had three subjects. She opened the first one that read **_[VAULT 111 SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS]_**. **_CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL SECUTIRY EYES ONLY | VIOLATION VTP-01011._ _Vault 111 is designed to test the long-term effects of suspended animation on unaware, human subjects. Security staff are responsible for maintaining installation integrity and monitoring science staff activity. Under no circumstances are staff allowed to deviate from assigned duties. Insubordination or interference with Vault operations are capital offenses. Security staff are authorized to use lethal force._**

Frowning, she backed out of the prompt and accessed the second entry, **_[Operations Protocol Manual]_** which led to three more logs. **_[Resident Admittance]_** _**Upon Activation Notice from Vault-Tec, all personnel are required to report to the Entry Area and assist with the admittance of Vault Residents. Security Personnel will maintain order and ensure that no personnel or residents attempt to evacuate the Vault. Research staff will be responsible for resident intake and escort each to the designated cryogenic pod. Residents not accounted for in the manifest should be asked to step aside and detained forcefully by security if necessary. Once all residents have been sealed into their preservation chambers dispose of any detainees. Vault entryway must remain sealed under any circumstances.**_ Jet shut her eyes, not allowing herself to contemplate such actions. Whether fortunate or not, she doubted anyone who hadn’t been registered with Vault-Tec had gotten in. Not with those soldiers guarding the gate.

She closed the message and looked through _**[Staff Duties]**_ , which also linked to three more subjects. **_[Science Staff]_** _**Members of the research team must daily monitor the vital signs of cryogenically preserved residents. Cardiopulmonary and cognitive activity in particular must be recorded hourly. Life-saving intervention is only permitted if greater than 80% of the resident population has perished while in cryogenic suspension and must not interrupt suspension. Independent research is encouraged, and left to Overseer discretion.**_ She exited the entry, quickly moving on to the second one. **_[Security Personnel] Security patrols are to be carried out on a constant eight-hour rotation. Security priorities include:_**

 _– Monitoring for signs of intrusion_  
– Checking for atmosphere leaks  
– Settling disputes among personnel  
– Enforcement of regulation set forth by the Overseer  
– Enforcement of regulations set forth by Vault-Tec

 ** _[Facility Services & Maintenance]_** merely noted that both staff and security were expected to do jobs outside the norm, such as cleaning and cooking. She quickly closed the missive and moved onto **_[All Clear & Evacuation]_**, which had two underlining prompts. **_[All Clear Message]_** _**Following a nuclear even, Vault-Tec will monitor hazards such as radiation levels, enemy invasion, subsequent attacks, and other factors. Once conditions are deemed safe, this terminal will receive an all-clear notice. Upon receiving the all-clear notice, Vault-Tec personnel may be evacuated at Overseer discretion. Disregard any notices from organizations or individuals not associated with Vault-Tec, including government and military. Residents are not to be disrupted or evacuated Vault-Tec will attend to their needs remotely once Vault 111 staff has been evacuated.**_

‘ _Jesus, how long did Vault-Tec plan on keeping us in cold storage?_ ’ She thought while studying the screen in disgust. The entry listed as _**[Mandatory Shelter Period]**_ simply restated that the staff would only be there temporarily and to carry out assigned duties. There would be a 180 days where no one was allowed to leave the Vault until the all-clear message was received. **_[Security Logs]_**   was a list of five dates, the first one read **_[October 23, 2077]_**. Today’s date, she knew. But then her eyes dropped to the second entry labeled _[December 25, 2077]_ and her mouth went dry. Jet froze, body stilling at the implications. She hadn’t thought about it until now. How much time had passed since Vault-Tec had shoved them into those Cryo Pods?

**_[October 23, 2077] God. It finally happened. The world’s over. Barely got all the residents inside. Not everyone made it… Now it’s just us and the icebergs. I don’t get it. Eggheads tried to explain to me that keeping them frozen is a big experiment. For a better future or something. I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem right that we were smiling at them all that time before putting them on ice. Shouldn’t we have told them something?_ **

**_[December 25, 2077] Christmas underground. Got together with the rest of the security boys and support staff and had a little party. Best gift that got handed out was a Fancy Lad Snack Cake that wasn’t too stale. None of the scientists came. Overseer wasn’t there either. I just don’t get them. They hiding something from us? Another company secret only for the higher ups? Whatever. Just a few more months until the All-Clear is supposed to come through. Then we can start rebuilding._ **

**_[March 14, 2078] Only a few weeks left in our mandatory shelter period. Everyone’s getting stir crazy. Some people are even saying the All-Clear Signal is never coming. We can’t stay here much longer, that’s for sure. It’s not just the fact that I’ve been staring at the same break room and bunk bed for over six months. It’s the fact that we only have enough food left for another few months. Tops. The Overseer keeps telling everyone to be patient, focus on work. He’s definitely keeping us out of the loop. Something bad is going on. I just know it._ **

**_[April 23, 2078] The main door accessing the Vault exit is malfunctioning. Now the only way out is through the Overseer’s evacuation tunnel, how convenient for him. He has one of the science team watching the door into his office at all times from a little makeshift checkpoint. Got invited to a meeting tonight. Support staffers and security only. Sounds like I’m not the only one with an axe to grind._ **

**_[LAST ENTRY] No All-Clear from Vault-Tec is coming. We need to leave. We’re all but out of food. I almost murdered Stanley for dropping a damn salt cracker on the floor. A handful of us confronted the Overseer about opening up the Vault. I never knew a man that small could shout that loud. Now he’s locked himself in his office along with the rest of the science staff. We’re supposed to hand over any food, weapons, and medicine we have by tonight, or there’s “going to be consequences.” I’ve talked to everyone. It’s time. One way or another, we’re getting out of this Vault._ **

“Anything interesting on there?” Nate asked from beside her, causing her to jump in surprise. She stared at him for a long second, heart racing in her chest, before slowly nodding.

“They… wanted to see how suspended animation would affect us.”

“So they were just using us as fucking guinea pigs?” He asked half-angry, half-shocked.

“Yeah, but Nathan, there are some private entries written down. The latest one that was dated said it was April 2078…” She let him come to the same conclusion she had, comprehension dawning in his eyes as his face paled under the florescent lights.

“How long have we been down here, Juliet?” Her twin asked fearfully and she could only shrug in answer, her stomach twisting into knots.

“…Did you find anything useful?” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair, and a few stray bangs flopped onto his forehead.

“Just a bunch of clipboards and coffee mugs.” He stared at the police baton in his hand for a few silent moments before shaking his head. “Come on, we gotta keep going.” Leaving the office, they opened the door and continued down an enclosed tunnel, which led to another door. Stepping through into an open room, a clicking, high pitched screech came from the far right corner and a giant fat roach darted towards them. It leapt at Jet and she quickly brought her arm up to defend herself. It was knocked onto its back, her metal prosthetic obviously proving effective and Nate lunged forward, bringing the security baton down overhead. The crunch and squish of the roach’s exoskeleton left her feeling a little bit queasy, as did the splatter of green blood that ended up covering their boots.

“Giant roaches? What the hell…”

“Ugh, that is nasty.” She groaned while shaking her boots in an attempt to get the blood off. The only thing she succeeded in doing was getting the jumpsuit material stuck in her knee junction. “Fucking ridiculous suit.” She hissed and Nate hummed as he spotted something and stepped over to a table nearby. He lifted the object up, showing that it was another baton, and tossed it to her. “Thanks.”

Once again the room split off into two paths. Another closed door to the left and an already opened area that seemed to be the canteen. They checked over the kitchen first, Jet automatically heading for the terminal as Nate scoured through the room. The screen lit up, two entries listed on it and a loaded holotape.

 ** _[Overseer Memo] Remember, use of the recreational terminal is a privilege. If work performance declines, this privilege may be revoked. Enjoy responsibly._** The second log, listed as **_[Top Ten]_** consisted of three letter words that she couldn’t make any meaning of. After activating the holotape though, the second entry made a lot more sense. The logo and familiar tune of the Red Menace game appeared on screen. In any other situation, she would’ve chuckled and played a few rounds before challenging Nate. Instead, she gave a tired sigh and ejected the game, sliding the cartridge it into her too small pocket. Nate came out of the adjoining barracks, shaking his head preemptively.

They headed to the next area, which turned out to be the generator room. Electricity shot from the conduits, zapping at the floor. Naturally they walked around the generators, only to come across three more roaches. The crunch of exoskeleton and bodily fluids made them both grimace as they flicked the blood off their batons and continued onwards. Their advancement abruptly came to a halt however, when they stumbled across a yellowing skeleton wearing an old, ratty Vault suit.

“What happened here? Where is everyone?!” Nate asked and Jet bent down to examine the skeleton.

“I don’t see any visible cause of death.” She flipped the body over gently, grimacing as it fell apart in her hands, the cartilage and ligaments long gone. Did the roaches do this? The lack of blood stains on the jumpsuit and floor said otherwise. And just how long did it take for a body to reach this level of decay? “The terminal mentioned that the food was running out. There’s no knife or gunshot wounds in the jumpsuit or the skull… It’s possible they starved to death.”

“Why not just leave?” Jet shook her head, thankful for her gloves even as she rubbed her hands off on her thighs.

“The Overseer wouldn’t let them. From what I read, they’d planned to start up a riot. Judging by the looks of this guy though, I don’t think they were successful.” Nate heaved a sigh before stepping away from the skeleton and opening the door to the next room. Climbing up a short flight of stairs, they were attacked by two more roaches, each dealt with easily. They moved into the next room, another office judging by the oval desk, with more skeletons littering the floor. “This must be the Overseer’s office.”

Nate grabbed the stimpaks, stuffing one into his pocket before handing her the remaining two. Jet took them, grumbling about how completely impractical their jumpsuits were. What she wouldn’t give for her old military fatigues. She strode around the desk, pausing at the skeleton sitting in a toppled chair. It was wearing a Vault suit and a torn lab coat, but what caught her attention was the Pip-Boy on its arm.

“I think I just found the Overseer.” Nate joined her by the corpse, shaking his head sadly.

“Is this all that’s left?” She crouched down, tugging on her pant leg before it had the chance to clog up her knee again, and took the Pip-Boy, placing it on her left forearm. The screen loaded, the script in its default green, before the display showed the physical status of her body. Jet was a little amused at how the Vault Boy icon depicted her, its right arm and leg simply labeled as crippled. She switched past the inventory, knowing she would need to type in everything she was carrying on her person manually, and flipped over to the map. There were no land markers, another thing she’d have to input by hand at a later point, but she paid little attention to this. Instead her eyes were focused on the bottom left corner of the screen where the date was located.

**_10.23.2287_ **

Two hundred and ten years?! They’d been stuck in those fucking pods for over two centuries? What about Shaun? How much time had passed between the first time they’d woken up and the second? She dropped her wrist, staring unseeingly at the floor. Fuck, this bullshit sounded like something straight out of the Silver Shroud radio show.

“Two hundred years…” She heard herself mutter and Nate looked over at her.

“Huh?” She swallowed hard, throat dry and itchy, before clarifying.

“This Pip-Boy, it says the year is 2287.”

“What?! No, that’s not possible!” Nate shouted, tone mingled with disbelief. “No, it has to be wrong. A glitch or something.” Jet bit her lip, resisting the urge to point at the Overseer’s body, and ask if the dusty skeleton was a mistake too. “Let’s just get the hell out of this place.” He walked around her, resuming his search for anything valuable. “Hmm, now this will be useful.” He said as he held up a 10MM Pistol and some rounds. Nate struggled with finding a place to stick his security baton, which clearly wouldn’t fit into his overstuffed pockets, before he suddenly made a triumphant noise and tucked the weapon into his boot. He looked up at her, smirking, and she nodded approvingly.

“Smart.”

“Hey, have to make do with what you got.” He replied before continuing on to search the rest of the room. She saddled up to the terminal, activating it, and looked over the desk for anything Nate might have missed while waiting for it to load.

The Overseer’s terminal shared a few entries that the Security terminal had. The _**[VAULT 111 OVERSEER INSTRUCTIONS]**   _were basically the same, with the only variant being that the message said that the Overseer’s staff was expendable. It even suggested it was ideal to use empty Cryo Pods as a method of “cadaver disposal”. Shaking her head in disgust, Jet skipped the **_[Operations Protocol Manual]_** , as well as the **_[All Clear & Evacuation]_**, and continued on to the new subject listed as _**[Cryolator]**_ **. _I've long dreamed of making cryogenic freezing available in a portable, on-demand form. The Cryolator is my latest attempt. Thankfully, we're in no short supply of the chemicals and components I need to tinker with the prototype. It's a nice way to occupy the time as we wait for the All-Clear Signal._**

She backed out and entered the **_[Overseer’s Logs]_**   which had three entries. _**[Preparations] The final staff orientation is complete, all but a few of the residents down in Sanctuary Hills have been enrolled, and several from Concord as well. Vault-Tec supervisors came up this week to do a technical review with me. This Vault is ready to open. I can only imagine what wonders our residents will get to witness. The notion of leaping forward in time. I almost wish I could join them and see the promise of our future realized.** _ She closed the log, moving onto the next.

 ** _[October 23] It’s happened. We were lucky that most of the staff was nearby when the early warning came through. We had less notice than expected, but only Nordhagen was missing when we sealed the entrance. Resident Admittance went smoothly. Everyone made it, even the family that waited till the last minute._ ** **_I was worried there would be more suspicion, but things happened so fast for these people. They must have been too overwhelmed to question the cryogenic pods._ **

**_[System Malfunction] Strange issue today with pod B3. Subject appeared to be having heart palpations. Nothing life-threatening, but unusual. We realized almost too late that the pod was malfunctioning. The Cryogenic Array almost started thawing him out._ ****_We're not sure, but I suspect a hiccup in Vault-Tec's remote override systems may have sent an errant signal._ ****_We'll have to keep an eye out. I only hope their systems are reliable once we evacuate the staff._** “B3”, “Subject”. Jet barely resisted the urge to kick the Overseer’s remains. They couldn’t even be bothered to address Mr. Abel by his name.

**_[Supplies Running Low] There’s been no All-Clear Signal yet, even though were nearing the end of 180 day Mandatory Shelter Period. Supplies were never intended to last much more than that, and despite my best efforts, people are beginning to question what we’re doing down here. If people think we can just leave when the 180 days are up, they're insane. The radioactive exposure would still be potent enough to fry everyone if the Vault seals are breached that early. The whole point of the All-Clear was to receive additional instructions from the main office. I don't know what to do. I can't open the Vault. I can't expect our supplies to last forever. I just have to keep everything under control until the All-Clear..._ **

**_[Mutiny]_ ****_A faction led by the security personnel have turned on me, demanding they be allowed to leave the Vault. Idiots. I will not open the door to be irradiated to death out there. I'm consolidating the remaining supplies, putting the staff on lockdown. We're going to have to start prioritizing who deserves what little food we have left. I've been too damn generous with the rations. If people don't like it, well, that's fewer mouths to feed._** She wondered if the security staff had made it out alive after all. They’d only passed the one corpse before entering the Overseer’s office, and judging by the white coats, they were likely the remains of the science staff.

They’d found no armor or helmets. The batons had been abandoned, not found beside dead bodies. Had they managed to escape after all? She checked the Overseer again, but saw no wounds on his torso and his skull was intact so no one had put a bullet in him. Yet the way he died, positioned in his fallen over chair didn’t seem natural. What had happened here?

“Nice. Coming back later for you.” Nate commented from the side of the room, and she glanced up at him, dismissing the mystery of what killed the Vault’s staff. Wasn’t important anyways. She didn’t give two fucks about these conniving assholes. The only thing that mattered now was finding the bastard who’d killed Nora and getting Shaunie back.

“What’d you find?” She asked and he stepped out of the storage closet.

“Some sort of gun locked up tight. I’ve never seen a model like it before, though. Don’t have any bobby pins on me to try and pick it anyways. You didn’t happen to find a key, did you?” She shook her head.

“Nope. It must be the Cryolater the Overseer invented. Apparently it’s supposed to be some kind of… freeze gun.” She said, feeling a little bit silly just saying so and he looked at her incredulously.

“Seriously? Talk about science-fiction come to life.” She nodded in complete agreement. “Here, this was tucked back there as well.” He handed her a 10MM pistol of her own and a box half-filled with ammo. She had to toss the box to get the bullets into her pocket and realized that without a holster, they’d have to carry their guns constantly, since tucking them into their boots would be dangerous if they ran into anything bigger than roaches. “I also found a pack of cigarettes in the bedroom and some money in the drawers. The door’s locked though.”

“I can access it on the terminal.” Jet replied before stuffing her baton into her boot as well. Turning back to the screen, she activated the program to unlock the evacuation tunnel. **_[Open Evacuation Tunnel]_** **_Opening evacuation tunnel..._**

“Okay, that should do it.” She said and sure enough the door on the opposite side of the room slid open. Journeying into the new hallway proved to be infested with more overgrown roaches. Crouching low, she and Nate each picked a target, killing the damn things instantly, before switching over to their batons as the rest leaped towards them. Moving through the tunnel, they came up to another exit door, this one thankfully not locked.

Two roaches were waiting for them in the Vault’s antechamber and were easily killed without sparing a single bullet. Going over the room, they came across three more bodies, once again all wearing lab coats. Jet went through the lockers and boxes, finding eight 10MM rounds and a working lighter. Examining the original inaccessible exit door, she scowled as she saw that the security guard’s suspicion had been right, the Overseer had locked it from the other side. She didn’t open it though, knowing that if she did, it would give them a clear view of the Cryo Pods.

Turning back to Nate, she saw that he had scavenged his own Pip-Boy from the skeleton of a white coat, and Jet wondered if it was the same doctor from earlier. He looked over it briefly, wiping off the screen, and fiddling with the nods for a moment. She knew the exact moment when he caught sight of the date, his entire body tensing up immediately. He looked up at her, face scrunched up in dismayed confusion.

“Have we really been down here for two hundred years?” He asked faintly and she shook her head solemnly.

“I don’t know Nate.” She offered lowly, keeping her suspicions about Shaun to herself for now, and he bowed his head, fists clenching at his sides.

“Fuck. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Who cares what year it is? We have to find Shaun.” He took out the plug to his Pip-Boy, jabbing it into the relay remote link on the Vault door’s console, replacing it when the glass casing on the coupler ignition flipped open. He punched the release button hard, expression serious and deadly.

“ **Vault door cycling sequence initiated. Please stand back.** ” The automated voice announced as the door began the arduous task of opening. Jet waited by the walkway and Nate made his way over to her slowly, his large muscular frame taunt.

“Hey.” She said lowly and Nate turned to her, glare still in place. “We will find Shaun. I know it.” All the tension left him at that, his tall form slumping as he put a hand to his forehead.

“Thank god you’re here, Juliet. I don’t know what I would’ve down if I’d woken up alone.” She gently laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

“I’ll always have your back.” He smiled a strange mixture of anguish and relief, before the Vault door finally opened. The grated walkway slid forwards to connect to the staircase on the other side and they silently moved forwards. They stepped onto the Vault platform, which rose after a few seconds, metal sceaching loudly as they ascended. She heard the automated voice speak one more time before the steel doors overhead opened.

“ **Enjoy your return to the surface. And thank you for choosing Vault-Tec.** ”

As soon as they were out, Jet had to shut her eyes as the daylight blinded her. From the soft grunt beside her, she assumed that Nate had suffered the same. Blinking rapidly, she lowered her arm from her face, the landscape quickly coming into focus. She wished it hadn’t.

“Oh god…” Nate gasped and she could only stare, feeling numb as she took in the destroyed world in front of her. The first thing she noticed was the lack of color. The sky was still blue, clouds still white. But the grass, what little there was, was patchy and brown, the trees dead and leafless. The manmade structures surrounding the Vault, the fence, metal frights, and vehicles were warped, rusted over, and falling apart. Skeletons littered the ground, remains of the people who hadn’t gotten into the Vault.

She felt nauseous; the sting of bile was burning at the back of her throat. Probably the only reason for why she didn’t throw up right there was because Nate had reached over and grabbed her hand.

“We should… check out the house…” He suggested hoarsely, his grip tightening when she failed to respond. They made their way down the hill, pistols at their sides, though Jet felt oddly wilted even as she kept a sharp eye on their surroundings. They came across more crumbling skeletons, dressed in tatty uniforms and ruined civilian outfits. The greatest number of bodies was huddled around the rusted gate.

“Hey, look.” Nate said softly as he pointed at a nearby bush with strange blue flowers on it. “Not all of the plants are dead.” She nodded, the sick feeling in her gut lessening a little. They continued down the path, carefully crossing over the bridge, and silently headed towards their home. Judging by the dilapidated state of Mr. Russel’s house, she didn’t expect it to be in any better condition.

Jet heard him before she saw him, the low hum of his burner at work, keeping him afloat, and the familiar sound of his buzzsaw cutting away at the hedges.

“Is that…?” She asked aloud, pace quickening as she pulled on Nate’s hand to move faster. And there he was, hovering by the remains of the dead rosebush Nora had planted earlier that spring. “Codsworth. Codsworth!” He turned to them, all three robotic eyes shuttering in surprise.

“As I live and breathe… It’s… it’s REALLY you!” She leapt forward, hugging the partially rusted Mr. Handy, who jerked a little under her weight. “Oh Miss Juliet, I am overjoyed to see you as well!”

“Codsworth… you’re still here. So… other people could still be alive, too…” Nate muttered from behind them, clearly stunned.

“Why of course I’m still here. Surely you didn’t think a little radiation could deter the pride of General Atomics International? Ha! But, um, you seem the worse for wear.” He remarked, eyeballing their disheveled appearances, the green blood on their boots, and the guns in their hands. “Best not let mum see you two in that state. Where is the missus by the way?” Jet pulled away to look at her twin, watching as his gaze fell to the ground and his shoulders trembled slightly.

“They… they killed her.” He answered shakily, the pain and hollowness on his face growing as he spoke.

“Sir, these things you’re saying. These terrible things… I… I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction, to calm this dire mood. It’s been ages since we’ve had a proper family activity. Checkers. Or perhaps charades? Shaun does so love that game. Is the lad… with you…?” His eye-stocks swiveled between the two of them questioningly and Jet shut her eyes as she released a shuddering sigh.

“He’s gone, goddamn it!” Nathan exploded, his anger and fear resurfacing instantly. She quickly laid what she hoped was a comforting hand on her brother’s shoulder, but he didn’t seem to notice her at all as he glared at the Mr. Handy. “Someone took him! They killed Nora and stole our son!”

“It’s worse than I thought. Hmm hmm.” Codsworth responded cordially, strangely not at all alarmed by Nate’s anger or his words. “You’re suffering from hunger induced paranoia. Not eating properly for 200 years will do that, I’m afraid.” All the fight seemed to leave her brother at that as he stared at the robot with wide eyes.

“So it’s true. It really has been two hundred years then?”

“A bit over 210 actually. Give or take a little for the Earth’s rotation and some minor dings to the ole’ chronometer. That means you’re two centuries late for dinner! Ha ha ha, Perhaps I can whip up a snack? You two must be famished.”

“Cods, buddy, are you okay? You’re acting…” She trailed off, unsure how to address the robot’s abnormality.

“A little bit weird.” Nate finished diplomatically. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I… Oh sir, Miss Juliet, it’s been just horrible!” The Mr. Handy wailed unexpectedly. “Two centuries with no one to talk to, no one to serve! I spent the first ten years trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing gets out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood. Nothing! And don’t get me started about the futility of dusting a collapsed house. And the car! The car! How do you polish rust?” He continued loudly, his arms and eye-stocks twisting and turning erratically.

“Whoa, hey! It’s okay! Stay with us Cods, focus pal.” Jet said as she gestured for the robot to calm down. She knew that he was programmed to display emotion, that’s what made him so damn amazing, but she’d never seen him act like this before. Fortunately, he seemed to recover his demeanor rather quickly.

“I’m afraid I don’t know anything. The bombs came, and all of you left in such a hurry. I thought for certain you and your family were… dead.” Codsworth sniffled, a strange noise coming from a robot with no nose to speak of. “I did find this holotape, sir. I believe the missus was going to present it to you. As a surprise. But then, well… everything happened.” He held out a familiar orange and white cartridge and Jet caught herself stiffening.

“Thank you Codsworth.” Nate replied softly as he took the holotape and began fiddling with his Pip-Boy. “Do you know what’s on it?”

“I believe it’s a private message for you. My etiquette protocols would not permit me to play it for myself. Now, I’ll go fetch you both something to eat, shall I?” Codsworth left them, humming ‘Hail Britannia’ as he disappeared into the house.

At finally getting a glimpse of their house, Jet felt her heart sink. It was wrecked, both from the fallout and time. The windows were long gone, the structure of the house lopsided and warped with some of the siding missing. The roof had so many holes in it she knew it must be absolutely terrible at keeping the rain out. The paint had long since faded, peeling and washed out, with rust stains from the metal beams bleeding down the walls.

“N-Nora was…” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to look away from the house. “Nora was going to give that to you before you gave your speech. You know, something to ease your nerves. We, uh, just recorded a few words.” Her brother stayed silent for a long moment before injecting the tape, instantly shutting his eyes. The shrieking feedback of the mic caused her to cringe just as it had yesterday. Or rather, two hundred years ago. That still didn’t feel real.

“ **Ouch, damn that’s loud.** ” Her past-self grumbled while Nora chuckled lightly.

“ **Oops. Ha ha ha.** ” Shaun’s accompanying gurgles had Nate making a choked noise and his other hand came up to clamp around the Pip-Boy tightly. “ **No. no. Little fingers away. There we go. Just say it. Right there. Right there. Go ahead.** ”

“ **Right, don’t want the baby’s babbling to be incoherent.** ” Jet muttered in the background.

“ **Ha ha, don’t listen to Aunt Jet, she’s just being grumpy. Hi honey! Listen… I don’t think Shaun, Jet, and I need to tell you how great of a father you are, but we’re going to anyway. Isn’t that right?** ” Nora said and Shaun’s gurgling devolved into huffy little noises. “ **You are kind, and loving.** ” Shaun chose at that moment to give a little giggle and Nora joined him. “ **And funny! That’s right. And patient, so patient. Patience of a saint, my mother used to say. Look, with Shaun, and us all being at home together… It’s been an amazing year. But even so, I know our best days are yet to come. There will be changes, sure. Things we’ll need to adjust to. You’ll rejoin the civilian workforce, Jet will take over Mr. Abel’s repair shop, and I’ll shake the dust off my law degree…** ”

“ **You know you can always come work for me, right bro? Hell, we could make it a family business.** ”

“ **Ha ha, see, you’ve already got a job offer. But everything we do, no matter how hard… we do it for our family.** ” There was a small lull, filled by Shaun’s soft cooing. “ **Now say goodbye Shaun. Bye bye? Say bye bye? Bye honey, we love you.** ” The mic blared once again before silence seeped into the air. Nate kept his eyes shut, mouth pulled into a hard frown, though she caught sight of his lower lip trembling.

“It took us five tries to get that message, ya know? Shaun kept crying during the first few and apparently I cursed too much during the fourth take.” She whispered and Nate buried his face into his free hand, gun hanging listlessly at his side. The whirl of Codsworth’s burner got louder and she watched as he came out of the house, still humming as he floated towards them.

“Here you two are.” He stated cheerfully as he held out a stained, frail looking box of Sugar Bombs. She glanced at her twin, but he didn’t look up or pull his hand away.

“Uh, thanks Cods.” She replied meekly as she carefully took the two-hundred-year old cereal. “I’ll just… put this aside for later.” She set the cereal down on the ground, determined to never eat any of its contents.

“Happy to serve, Miss Juliet!” His content tone lowered before he continued, sounding serious and wary. “Now, I’ve been thinking. If something is amiss… your love ones may simply be hiding from… the Red Menace.”

“The Red Menace?” Nate repeated slowly, sounding incredibly tired as he lowered his hand to gaze at the Mr. Handy. Her thoughts went to the game currently resting in her pocket.

“Why the communists, of course!” He shouted as he thrust his servos into the air, shaking a fist at their no longer existing enemies. “The Russians AND the Chinese!”

“Codsworth, buddy, I don’t think the Reds are gonna be a problem anymore.” Jet piped up as she shared a concerned look with her brother. While Codsworth may have survived the fallout, there was obviously something wrong with him. Or maybe dealing with the trauma of a fallout, of responding to the poor state of the world, was just beyond his programming so he negated it as well as he could. In any case, she hoped them being around would help him get better.

“I have an idea!” The robot announced as he hovered closer to them. “Let’s search the neighborhood together? The missus and young Shaun may turn up yet.” Nate opened his mouth to protest, but froze at Codsworth’s next choice of words. “After all they’re… they’re my family too.” The sad, worried tone seemed to be enough to sway him into humoring their butler. He sighed while rolling his shoulders and nodded. Patience of a saint was right.

“Have you seen anything dangerous?” He asked instead, no doubt thinking about the giant cockroaches. Jet grimaced before nodding hurriedly. Those things had obviously been mutated by the radiation; chances were that other wildlife was affected too.

“Yeah, we ran into some fucking ugly roaches in the Vault. Nasty things were the size of a raccoon.” She gave a shudder and prayed that they wouldn’t be running into any giant spiders.

“Oh, just the usual.” Codsworth answered nonchalantly with a tilt from his eye-stocks. “Pesky neighborhood dogs and mosquitos. Shall I investigate?”

“Yeah, alright pal, lead the way.” Nate ordered while checking his ammo and she copied him, noting that she had five rounds loaded. The Mr. Handy lit up at that, his engine burning harder and making him float higher than normal, which she knew was the robot’s version of straightening his posture.

“Proud to serve, sir!” He steered them away from their worn down home, but Nate lingered there for a few moments longer before following. Together, they explored the cul-de-sac, Codsworth moving past the ruined homes happily while the two humans took in the destruction with disheartened eyes. The sound of buzzing caught their attention soon enough however, and Codsworth turned towards the house where the noise was coming from, brandishing his buzzsaw before charging forth. “Come on sir, Miss Juliet! We can take them!”

Them being giant, ugly, demented looking flies.

“Goddamn it!” Nate shouted from behind her as the pair of mutated flies suddenly shot stingers at them. They both dove to the side, but Jet being a little closer, wasn’t fast enough. She gave a muffled cry as one of the stingers stabbed itself into her left arm. “Juliet?!” She gave a thumbs up over her shoulder to signal that she was okay before firing at the flies from her makeshift cover that was a turned over couch.

The mutated flies proved a little harder to kill than the roaches. They moved through the air quickly, zipping back and forth, but thankfully the house hindered their movements. Codsworth was able to corner them quickly and he immediately torched them with his flamer. Seeing as the danger passed, Jet dropped her gun on her lap and tried to examine the wound. Nate was by her side within a second, grabbing ahold of her arm gently.

“Codsworth!” She shouted as her brother carefully plucked the stinger from her arm, making her hiss in pain. The four-inch dart was leaking some sort of foul smelling liquid and she realized that the damn thing was probably poisonous. Nate, who came to the same conclusion as well, immediately leaned forward to pinch the wound hard, causing the murky green venom to ooze outwards. She did her best not to yelp as she spoke through gritted teeth, glaring at the Mr. Handy who floated beside them worriedly. “Those weren’t fucking mosquitos!”

“Indeed Miss Juliet, nothing here but a few houseflies.” Despite his harmless words, his tone was subdued.

“Yeah! Giant, mutated flies that shoot darts out of their asses and are probably poisonous judging by my sudden urge to puke!” Nate glanced at her in concern, but she waved him away. “It’s not too bad, kinda like having too many stimpaks at once. I just feel like I’m gonna hurl. Probably would’ve already if you hadn’t gotten most of that shit out.”

“I’m terribly sorry Miss Juliet. I’ve dealt with those pests for years, but I never knew they were poisonous.” She sighed at his guilt-ridden tone. No, of course he didn’t know they were toxic. Why would he? Those stingers probably wouldn’t even be able to scratch his casing.

“It’s okay buddy, I’m not mad. We’ll just have to be more careful in the future.” She said as she shared a look with her twin. Codsworth may be well meaning, but it was doubtful that they’d be able to completely rely on him for a while. Not until they got his programming sorted out. “Help me tear off my sleeve?” She asked as she lifted her right arm. “I need to bandage this and what we’re wearing is doubtlessly the cleanest fabric in Sanctuary right now.”

“Yeah, sure.” He responded as he tugged on the fabric. “Gonna need a knife first though.”

“Allow me to be of some assistance.” Codsworth offered as he brought up his buzzsaw.

“Ah, wait, wait! Let me take my arm out first!” She said quickly, halting the Mr. Handy’s advance. Nate turned away, granting her some privacy as she unzipped her suit and pulled out her robotic arm. She held the sleeve out, as far away from her body as it would stretch, and had their robot cut the material just above the elbow. Well, at least now she wouldn’t have to worry about it clogging her joint anymore. Pulling back on the now short sleeve, she zipped herself up as Nate helped Cods cut the fabric again, turning it into several long strips. He then wrapped them around her left bicep, effectively bandaging the wound.

“That too tight?” She flexed her arm, wincing slightly, before shaking her head.

“Nah, it’s good.”

“Sir, Miss Juliet, the missus and young Shaun… They aren’t here.” Codsworth admitted lowly, his voice sounding as if he were close to tears.

“Thanks anyways Codsworth.” Nate sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“You can’t give up sir! What about the city? Concord is nearby, and, well, the people there have only shot at me a few times…”

“They did what?!” Jet shouted as she looked over her robotic buddy for any bullet holes in his casing. Some pieces of plating were missing, a few gears exposed, with some dents and scuff marks covering his body. Still, he seemed well enough, even if he didn’t understand just how wrong and worrying it was that people had shot at him. Or the fact that he was directing them to said dangerous people in such a calm manner.

“Oh, I’m quite alright Miss Juliet.” He reassured her merrily, patting her shoulder lightly with his servo. “It was nothing that the pride of General Atomics International couldn’t handle.”

“There’s still people in Concord?” Nate asked, apparently not hearing the fact that these people were armed and likely violent. She gave her brother an annoyed, disbelieving look, but he was too entrenched in his thoughts to notice. Catching the determined expression on his face, she bit back her protests, knowing it would be pointless to argue.

“Yes, although they’re a bit rough.” The Mr. Handy confessed and she had to wonder how much of a gross understatement that was. To him, those mutated flies hadn’t been any more dangerous than a common insect. “You remember the way? Just across the southern footbridge out of the neighborhood and past the Red Rocket station.”

“Thanks Codsworth.”

“You’re very welcome, sir. I shall remain here and secure the home-front!” He volunteered before heading back towards the house. She wasn’t sure whether to breathe a sigh of relief or not. While there was something wrong with the robot, his buzzsaw and flamer would definitely be missed if they ran into any more giant ass bugs.

“Are you okay to head out now?” Nate questioned as he looked her over, his gaze focusing on her makeshift bandages. She rolled her shoulder, hiding a wince, and nodded even though her stomach was still churning with nausea that had yet to pass completely.

“Definitely, no bee sting is gonna slow me down. Let’s go.” Jet knew she didn’t have to prove anything to her brother. But Shaun was out there, somewhere, in this horrible fucking wasteland. There was a chance he could even be over in Concord right now, in the hands of the scarred bastard that killed Nora. She couldn’t stall Nate. So she would muscle through the pain, push back her queasiness, and gun down any fucking thing that got in their way. Gripping her pistol tightly, she followed him out of the ramshackle house and started moving towards Concord.  

**Author's Note:**

> Phew, that… took more out of me than I thought it would. Had to review the game’s dialogue to get it written down, but, ya know, they don’t post that shit anywhere so I had to watch videos to get what I needed. I tried not to give too much away about Jet’s past, as I want that to be a little mysterious for a while yet. I’ll state right now that I haven’t beaten Fallout in my own game yet, but I do know quite a bit thanks to spoilers.
> 
> Right now I’m planning on having Nate and Jet find Dogmeat and meet Preston in Chapter 4, and then they’ll run into Paladin Danse sometime after that, before reaching Diamond City. I also plan on having a little run-in with our favorite mayor, and maybe a former Gunner-turned-Mercenary, but that won’t be for a while yet. Anyways, let me know what you think and send me suggestions on any quests you’d like to see focused on. 
> 
> –Hexalys


End file.
